Formal Auditory Training Efficacy in Individual after Head Injury: A Case Study

• Published in: International Archives of Otorhinolaryngology 2014-09, Vol.18 (S 01)
• Main Authors: Borges, Leticia Reis, Stoler, Guita, Sanfins, Milaine Dominici, Ubiali, Thalita, Santos, Maria Francisca Colella dos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1809-9777; 1809-4864
• DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1388732

Introduction: Disabilities resulting in head injury may be physical, cognitive, and behavioral. The auditory training is a therapy characterized as a set of strategies used to rehabilitate the difficulties in auditory abilities. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of auditory training through auditory processing assessment and long latency auditory evoked potentials (P300) in an individual after head injury. Report summary: Presenting a case of a 41-year-old male complaining of difficulty in understanding speech after head injury. The magnetic resonance imaging showed small area of gap in the splenium of the corpus callosum. Audiometric test, auditory processing assessment, and P300 were evaluated before the beginning of auditory training. Normal performance on audiometric tests was found. The auditory processing assessment confirms disorder in dichotic digits (72.5%) and Staggered Spondaic Word (7.5%) in the left ear; Synthetic sentence identification test (ipsilateral competing message—20%) bilaterally and Random Gap Detection Test (16.25 ms). The P300 showed increased latency time. The patient was referred for auditory training for 12 weeks, for 45 minutes each session, to enhance development of the altered hearing abilities. Auditory processing and P300 were evaluated after the auditory training. All the auditory processing tests return to normal limits (dichotic digits (100%) and Staggered Spondaic Word (90%) in the left ear; synthetic sentence identification test (ipsilateral competing message—60%) bilaterally, and Random Gap Detection Test (10 ms). Progress also observed in P300 latency time. Conclusion: Auditory training was effective in the rehabilitation of the auditory abilities caused by head injury.